Radiator fitting



May 17, 1938. A. WALLERSTEIN RADIATOR FITTING Filed um 27, 1936 4 W 3 a g p I.\ NJ

TTOENEY 7b Boi/er- Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES RADIATOR FITTING Abraham Wallerstein,

St. Louis, Mo., assignor to A-W Heating Specialties Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application November 27, 1936, Serial No. 112,970

11 Claims.

This invention relates generally to radiator fittings and, more particularly, to a radiator fitting or valve structure for a one-pipe steam heating system.

My invention has for its primary object the provision of a readily constructed, economical, and durable valve structure which will augment the eiiiciency in operation of such systems and effec tively function to remove condensate from a steam radiator of the system in such manner as to eliminate interference of the condensate with the incoming steam.

My invention has for a further object the provision of a valve structure of the type and for the purposes stated which may be manufactured at an unusually low cost and, by reason or". its simplicity, will materially reduce the installation and maintenance cost of one-pipe steam heating systems.

And with the above and other objects in View, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,-

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a valve-structure constructed according to and embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational cross-sectional View of the valve-structure;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken approximately on the line 33, Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail view of the check valve closure member; and

Figure 5 is a schematic view of a one-way heating system, showing the. manner in which the valve-structure is incorporated therein.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, the valvestructure proper comprises a preferably unitary generally hollow or tubular body I' having an externally threaded coupling sleeve 2, a coupling nut 3, and a removable poppet cap 4. Preferably, the body I is formed by casting and is interiorly provided with a steam intake-chamber 5, an auxiliary or condensate-chamber 6, and a condensate return-passage l, a communicating condensate intake-extension 8, preferably integrally formed atone end of the condensate-chamber 6, being externally threaded for convenience in operatively connecting the valve-structure with a standard steam radiator.

Formed within the body I and separating the "condensate chamber 6 and the return passage 1,

is a horizontal wall It provided with an opening I! having a valve seat l2 for a poppet member I3, which latter comprises a circular valve-ball portion l4 and a preferably integrally formed, upwardly extending, guide-stem 15. It will be evident that, when the poppet I3 is unseated, the opening ll will permit or afford communication between the chamber 6 and passage 1.

Formed in the upper wall of the condensate return passage 1 axially above the valve seat I2, is an upwardly presented tubular extension 56 internally threaded to receive the poppet cap 4, and formed centrally or axially in, and opening to the under face of, the cap 3, is a recess l'i having a diametrical dimension somewhat larger than that of, and for receiving, the stem [5, the cap 4 being of such longitudinal dimension so that the poppet stem ES will normally extend into the recess I! when the ball M is seated in the valve seat [2. It may be added that the recess i1 is also of such depth relatively to the stem l5 as to freely permit movement of stem it when the ball M- is unseated, as presently appears.

Also formed within the body I and separating the condensate return passage 1 from the steam intake chamber 5, is an angularly offset wall it having a horizontal bottom portion it, in which latter is formed an opening is for providing free communication between the condensate return passage 1 and the intake chamber 5.

Forming substantially a part or continuation of the intake chamber 5, is a vertically extending passage provided by the coupling sleeve 2, which may be conveniently connected to a radiator intake pipe or leg 2|, as shown in Figure 5, by the coupling nut 3. The intake chamber 5 also includes a tubular internally threaded extension 22, by which the valve-structure may likewise be conveniently connected to a suitable source of steam supply.

In installing the structure for operation in a one-pipe steam heating system, the extension 22 is connected through a nipple as shown in Figure 5, to a conventional globe-valve 24, which is, in turn, connected through a pipe 25, leading from a conventional steam boiler or other source of steam supply, not shown.

When suitable steam pressure is applied to the system by opening the globe-valve 24, the entering steam passes into the intake chamber 5 and thence upwardly through the intake leg 2| into the top of the radiator 26, withwhich latter the pipe or leg 2! may be suitably connected. In the radiator 26, a temperature-pressure drop occurs, which produces condensation of the steam. The condensate thus formed flows downwardly to the bottom of the radiator 26 and into the condensate intake passage 8. At this point, flow of the condensate is barred or stopped by the seated valve [3, which is held in seating engagement with its seat I2 by the combined effect of its own Weight and the incoming steam pressure, the force of which latter is exerted on the top of the valve [3 through the condensate return passage 1, which, in turn, as stated, communicates through the opening 19 with the intake chamber 5. As the process of condensation continues, the condensate gathers behind the valve I3 and forms a hydrostatic head, which soon becomes great enough to overcome the resisting forces which tend to hold the valve [3 to its seat [2. Thereupon, the valve l3 will be forced upwardly or unseated, opening the port II, and the condensate will flow through the condensate return passage l and opening l9 into the bottom of the intake chamber 5 and through the bottom of the globe-valve 24 to the pipe 25, whence it will be directed back to the boiler or other source of steam supply. Such return flow of condensate will continue until the hydrostatic head is reduced sufficiently, whereupon the valve l3 will again drop into closed position and the condensate will again build up, thus providing a continuous intermittent condensate return operation, which is automatically regulated by the balance between the incoming steam pressure and the rate of condensation, and which, furthermore, feeds the condensate back to the boiler in a manner which obviates any interference between the incoming steam and the returning condensate.

The valve structure is exceedingly efiicient in the performance of its intended functions, and it will be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the valve-structure may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

l. A radiator fitting having an intake chamber and a condensate chamber, conduit means for connecting the top of the condensate chamber with the bottom of the intake chamber, and valve means disposed in said conduit means for controlling the passage of fluids between the chambers.

2. A radiator fitting having an intake chamber and a condensate chamber, conduit means for connecting the top of the condensate chamber with the bottom of the intake chamber, and normally gravity seated valve means disposed in said conduit means at the top of the condensate chamber for controlling the passage of fluids between the chambers.

3. A radiator fitting comprising a hollow body having an auxiliary chamber and an intake chamber, the latter being provided with a horizontally projecting tubular extension for connection with a source of steam supply and a vertically projecting tubular extension for connection with the top of a steam-radiator, and passage means formed within said body for connecting the intake chamber with the auxiliary chamber, the auxiliary chamber extending radially outwardly from, and having its bottom in a plane substantially above the bottom of, the intake chamber.

4. A radiator fitting comprising a hollow body having an auxiliary chamber and an intake chamber, the latter being provided with a horizontally projecting tubular extension for connection with a source of steam supply and a vertically projecting tubular extension for connection with the top of a steam-radiator, passage means formed within said body for connecting the intake chamber with the auxiliary chamber, the auxiliary chamber extending radially outwardly from, and having its bottom in a plane substantially above the bottom of, the intake chamber, and valve means disposed within said passage means for controlling communication between the chambers.

5. A radiator fitting comprising a hollow body having an auxiliary chamber and an intake chamber, the latter being provided with a horizontally projecting tubular extension for connec tion with a source of steam supply and a vertically projecting tubular extension for connection with the top of a steam-radiator, passage means formed within said body for connecting the intake chamber with the auxiliary chamber, the auxiliary chamber extending radially outwardly from, and having its bottom in a plane substantially above the bottom of, the intake chamber, and normally gravity seated valve means disposed within said passage means for controlling communication between the chambers.

6. A radiator fitting having an intake chamber provided with horizontally extending connection means for connection with a steam supply, an angularly disposed Wall in said intake chamber juxtaposed to the horizontally extending connection means, a horizontal wall formed at the lower extremity of the angularly disposed wall and having a vertically extending opening therein, a second chamber having its bottom positioned horizontally above the plane or" the bottom of the intake chamber and having an opening in its upper wall, valve means positioned in the last-named opening, and conduit means communicating with the last-named opening and with the first-named opening.

7. A radiator fitting having an intake cham ber and a condensate chamber, conduit means for connecting the top of the condensate chamber with the bottom of the intake chamber, and valve means disposed in said conduit means at the top of the condensate chamber for control" ling the passage of fluids between the chambers, said valve means being urgeable into closed position by the combined forces of gravity and incoming steam pressure.

8. A radiator fitting having an intake chamber and a condensate chamber, conduit means for connecting the top of the condensate chamber with the bottom of the intake chamber, normally gravity seated valve means disposed in said conduit means at the top of the condensate chamber for controlling the passage of fluids between the chambers, and removable means disposed in the radiator fitting axially above the valve means for limiting the motion thereof.

9. A radiator fitting comprising a hollow body having an auxiliary chamber and an intake chamber, the latter being provided with a first projecting tubular extension for connection with a source of steam supply and a second projecting tubular extension for connection with the top of a steam-radiator, and passage means formed within said body for connecting the intake chamber with the auxiliary chamber, the

auxiliary chamber extending radially outwardly from, and having its bottom in a plane substantially above the bottom of, the intake chamber.

10. A radiator fitting comprising a hollow body having an auxiliary chamber and an intake chamber, the latter being provided with a first projecting tubular extension for connection with a source of steam supply and a second projecting tubular extension for connection with the top of a steam-radiator, passage means formed within said body for connecting the intake chamher with the auxiliary chamber, the auxiliary chamber extending radially outwardly from, and having its bottom in a plane substantially above the bottom of, the intake chamber, and valve means disposed within said passage means for controlling communication between the chambers.

11. A radiator fitting comprising a hollow body having an auxiliary chamber and an intake chamber, the latter being provided with a first projecting tubular extension for connection with a source of steam supply and a second projecting tubular extension for connection with the top of a steam-radiator, passage means formed within said body for connecting the intake chamber with the auxiliary chamber, the auxiliary chamber extending radially outwardly from,

' and having its bottom in a plane substantially above the bottom of, the intake chamber, and normally gravity seated valve means disposed within said passage means for controlling communication between the chambers.

ABRAHAM WAILERS'I'EIN. 

